Voters discuss need for increased school security and possibly withdrawing from SAU 64 with Wakefield

By Samantha Allen

sallen@fosters.com

Monday, February 4, 2013

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Democrat photo/Allen
Milton voters in their deliberative session Saturday afternoon where school warrant articles were discussed and deliberated.

MILTON — At a deliberative session for school-related articles at Nute High School Saturday, town voters discussed a need for an increase in security at local schools and weighed options for a potential in withdrawing from SAU 64 with Wakefield.

Seven articles were discussed and approved in all, with no amendments proposed.

Late last year, Milton school officials, which make up SAU 64 with Wakefield through sharing administrative services as well as a superintendent, announced they were considering withdrawal from the district. Saturday afternoon, Chairman of the Milton School Board Ann Walsh told approximately 20 town residents in attendance the two towns are not working toward the same goals and Milton needs to be in a situation where they are given first priority.

“I think the Milton school district and Wakefield school district and board have different priorities and different goals and a different idea on government and management of the school district,” Walsh told the session. “Those differences are becoming more and more problematic all the time.”

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Democrat photo/Allen
Chairman of the Milton School Board Ann Walsh responds to the public’s inquiries during a deliberative session held Saturday afternoon.

Following the meeting, Walsh told Foster’s these issues of management have been building up over time. She said at least from Milton’s perspective, the district is a “needy” town with old school buildings and low test-scores that need attention.

“We have our own ways of doing things and we need someone that’s going to take care of Milton,” she said.

Should the town approve Article 7, Milton will form a planning committee to study withdrawal from the SAU, with four members from the community, two Milton School Board members, one member from the town Budget Committee and Superintendent Jay McIntire as a non-voting party, to investigate possibilities for the district.

Under Article 4, some residents asked about school security, several weeks after the Newtown, Conn., school shooting where a gunman murdered 20 young children and six members of staff at an elementary school.

Resident Susann Foster Brown asked why keys to back doors at the Milton Elementary School were recently distributed to staff to make their access easier, citing more keys leads to more security troubles. Walsh responded the keys had since been collected and the district is looking to upgrade the locking mechanisms at schools to electronic swipe card systems.

The article asks whether the town shall approve the appropriation of $30,000 into an expendable school trust fund to up security. Town voters moved swiftly through their deliberation, with Moderator Chris Jacobs guiding them through the process. The session was wrapped up in just under an hour.

Voters approved the placement of an article asking whether the town shall approve $50,000 for the district’s building maintenance fund (Article 5), a little less than half the total cost of running the administrative unit for about $417,000 (Article 3) and an approximate $8.8 million operating budget slightly less than last year’s.

Walsh explained this was due to a slight decrease in health insurance premiums this year and the district is adjusting the budget to include a half-time math teacher and half-time psychologist. The budget also includes the replacement of a modular unit located behind the elementary school.